10 Breast Cancer "Facts" You Shouldn't Believe

Do antiperspirants, hair straighteners, and birth control pills increase your odds of getting breast cancer? Here are the answers you've been looking for

Myth No. 10: Weight isn't a big risk factor Fact: Body weight does play a huge role in breast cancer risk. A 2011 study conducted by the Women's Health Initiative that evaluated 155,723 postmenopausal women found that women who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher in their premenopausal years were found to have a 35 to 39 percent increased risk of a breast cancer diagnosis compared to their thinner counterparts.

Why weight becomes a factor post-menopause isn't fully known, but Birhiray says the increased risk is most likely due to fat acting as storage for estrogen. The more fat cells you have, the more estrogen your body will store. And as we mentioned earlier, excess estrogen is a known factor in increased breast cancer risk. You can calculate your BMI here.

Wow! Some of what we might believe causes breast cancer sounds crazy! I, personally, love love love coffee so that would literally kill me if that did cause breast cancer. I have heard that the pill has some bad effects but im glad that breast cancer is not one of the effects. Antiperspirant? If that is true or might be true then we would have to come up with something really quick or a lot of people would be rather smelly! =)